Mech: Shattering of the Galaxy

(Congratulations to the newly promoted Alliance Hierarch "Kevin Zhou Yang"! Congratulations to the newly promoted elder "Bored Ah Ah Ah Ah"!)

This mecha could be described as armed to the teeth with heavy armor; the thickness of the mecha's arms was more than double that of Mu Fan's Extreme Special Soldier, and one mechanical leg was nearly as thick as the waist section of the Extreme Special Soldier.

The most exaggerated part was the towering shoulders, which already extended above the head, and the shape of the mecha's head was even more peculiar—a hemispherical shape upside down on the body, looking just like a bastion! Just by its appearance, it made a deep impression.

The orange-yellow armor covered the entire body. This kind of bright coating color was clearly making it a target on the battlefield, but when you saw this fully metallic heavy mecha, you would have lost all desire to attack.

Mu Fan continued to slide his finger down, looking at the data and images organized by Black, listening to Black's explanation ringing in his ears:

"According to the data, the design purpose of this mecha is to be a land dominator, utilizing six layers of composite armor, which can completely defend against attacks from artillery shells with calibers of 200mm or less within a range of 500 meters."

"Weapons: A special model double-barreled scattergun with a 182mm caliber. This is a unique model from the Lan Du Military Group. Up to now in the competition, this weapon has already been called an armor-piercing cannon. You'll see its actual combat effectiveness in the video later."

Mu Fan nodded; with such a caliber, it was already akin to an anti-tank cannon configuration. To still be named a gun in the hands of a mecha meant that the real firepower of the mecha must be even more intense.

Black continued to speak dutifully, "This mecha's nickname is the same as its name, 'Earth Battle Fortress.' The most terrifying weapon lies beneath the thick armor that covers its shoulders. In the public data, one can see that the shoulders are additionally covered with a layer of Ceramic Armor, but this is entirely to protect its real super-heavy firepower—the Flame Dense Array!"

Flame Dense Array?

Mu Fan's gaze was firmly fixed on the two towering shoulders in the image.

"Born from the design concept of rapid-fire cannon dense arrays, Lan Du Military Group equipped 16 missile pods on both sides, with each pod holding 12 Flagfish Missiles. The area separating the cockpit from the rear armor is completely filled with missile reserve ammunition, allowing the Flame Dense Array to fire three times, each time launching 192 missiles simultaneously in 0.5 seconds ..."

As Mu Fan's fingers were dragging across the side of this mecha on the light screen, upon seeing the thickness of the armor and exactly when he heard the last sentence from Black, he furrowed his brows.

"...192 missiles?"

"Yes, 192 missiles, not ordinary shells. Lan Du Military Group has pushed their ammunition technology to the extreme. And they don't need to be reloaded; after firing, the missile pods are directly ejected. It means that this mecha can launch nearly 600 missiles in less than 3 seconds! This is an instantaneous coverage of a planar array and is almost unavoidable."

Mu Fan took a deep breath; how could the assessment of this mecha be just AA grade? In the right terrain, its destructive power could surpass that of a 3A grade mecha!

"Can the shell of the Extreme Special Soldier consider resisting these missiles?" Mu Fan's eyes were locked on the orange-yellow mecha in the image.

The excellent characteristics of Acabert Alloy had proven its value time and again in real combat, so this time Mu Fan went straight to this solution.

"There's no actual testing, but it's not advisable. The Flagfish Missile has two forms: One, the High Explosive Shock Wave Penetration Type, against which you can attempt to defend!"

"But the second is designed with a Conical Charge Warhead! In this state, a Flagfish Missile can easily penetrate composite armor of up to four layers in strength."

"I can't access the opponent mecha's loading mode, but based on calculated data, the probability of them using a mixed loading is 72%, and the probability of using the Conical Charge Warheads is 95%!"

Mu Fan understood Black's words, meaning it was highly likely that the opponent would target the hard shell of the Extreme Special Soldier for specific optimization.

His eyes still on the light screen, Mu Fan spoke calmly, "This mecha has almost given up mobility for extreme defense and firepower."

"That's correct. Under full ammunition load, the weight of this mecha should exceed 120 tons," Black responded.

Mu Fan continued his deduction, "That means the opponent is essentially carrying an ammunition depot. If the armor is penetrated, it's very likely to cause a sympathetic detonation!"

With that, a glint of light appeared in Mu Fan's eyes.

Black's mechanical voice continued, "The issue is here, high-tier sniper type mecha are indeed the nemesis of this mecha, but only if they manage to initiate the first strike from beyond the range and line of sight of the Earth Battle Fortress; otherwise, once the Flame Dense Array fires, the one to die first will surely be the opponent."

"However, a close combat mecha that can evade the Flame Dense Array and Special Scatter Gun, then this mecha does indeed become a target. But, you have to be able to dodge at least four rounds of assault. I will show you two combat videos."

After Black finished speaking, the light screen changed to a basin terrain, which was about the same size as Mu Fan's first round competition area, likely a preliminary contest arena.

A brown close combat mecha, holding a long shield covering half of its body, sprinted directly from the start of the match.

The mecha body appeared slightly taller than the Extreme Special Soldier, with specialized reinforcements on its limbs and joints.

"This mecha is called the Magnetic Pole Breaker. It wields a Magnetic Pole Rifle in its hands, capable of directly locking onto the opponent and violently colliding with them. One strike could penetrate a building— an A-class mecha body," Black briefly explained the state of the opponent's mecha.

The Earth Battle Fortress stood motionless at its position, neither dodging nor evading, calmly watching the fifteen-meter-tall mecha charging towards itself.

The lengthy distance flashed by, and just as the two mecha were about to clash, the orange-yellow mecha suddenly drew its oversized scattergun.

Bang!

Mu Fan felt as if he were witnessing the scene of a Land Fortress Cannon firing— flames burst forth from the 182mm caliber barrel, and a cloud of smoke erupted beneath the heavy mecha's feet.

The next second, a terrifying sight unfolded: the brown mecha, which became a blur as it hurtled forward violently, was like a high-speed train colliding with a mountain peak.

The entire mecha body was blasted away by the shot, its Heavy Shield spinning through the air, now bearing a giant hole over three meters in diameter…

The match was over.

Just one shot, two rounds of over 182mm scatter-shells had pierced through both the shield and the mecha body, the cockpit afforded no escape, and the Mechanical Master perished in combat.

Mu Fan silently calculated the defensive capabilities of the Extreme Special Soldier and concluded that he absolutely must not attempt to withstand the power of this Special Scatter Gun.

When the second video came on, Mu Fan noted it was less than 10 seconds in length.

The scene flashed by, with a long-range sniper type mecha flying up to a rock pillar at the start of the battle to fight for the high ground, even willingly exposing its position.

It assumed the cumbersome mecha was immobile and chose the rock pillar closest to the Earth Battle Fortress.

Then Mu Fan saw the large orange-yellow mecha stretch its arms open powerfully, the protrusions on both shoulders instantly extended by two meters, followed by two hatch covers falling away.

Mu Fan finally saw the dense array of missiles, meticulously arranged, grid by grid.

A blast of energy surged out from behind the mecha, and soon the screen was completely covered by those earth-colored missiles.

Those seeing it for the first time would definitely be speechless from shock; this was hardly believable as the firepower from a single mecha.

If one had to describe it, it was like the scene of a densely-packed school of fish in the ocean suddenly surging forward—192 missiles forming a plane in the midst of the air.

All of this was merely the firepower of a single mecha.

The rock pillar's summit and the surrounding space were completely engulfed at that moment by the secret technique's missile rain.

The opponent indeed managed to fire a shot, a burst of flames exploding on the Earth Battle Fortress.

Yet that shot couldn't even penetrate the composite armor, foreclosing any chance of a second shot being fired.

Mu Fan's gaze locked onto the mecha being bombarded by countless missiles; he noted something special— the flashes erupting from the mecha's exterior were from high explosive bombs, and it was the few missiles that penetrated the body that were the real culprits ending the mecha.

This was the Conical Charge Warhead that Black had been emphasizing.

The armor-piercing effect was exceedingly superior!

In less than a second, the mecha was hit by over a dozen missiles simultaneously, exploding into fragments in mid-air.

The video ended, the screen before him went dark, and the vision of the sky filled with missiles still lingered in his mind.

Mu Fan silently looked at the Sky Communication, hearing Black's voice in his ear: "That's all the information. What's your opinion?"

Upon hearing Black's question, Mu Fan finally moved his neck slightly, speaking in an even tone, "I'm not sure where the Mecha Association draws the line on power restrictions for long-range weapons, but the strength of such attacks with physical ammunition seems hardly impacted at all."

"Mu Fan's opponent was very experienced, there was absolutely no intention of holding back in the two battles, exhibiting characteristics typical of military combat."

Black, surprised, asked, "Your pulse never changed from beginning to end, nor did your tone fluctuate, so how come I get the feeling that you seem to already have a strategy in mind?"

Mu Fan leaned his head against the cold metal wall, closed his eyes, took a bite of the Molten Magma Fruit in his hand, and said vaguely, "I have an idea..."

Black stopped talking. As an intelligent life that had cooperated with Mu Fan countless times, it clearly felt that Mu Fan's interest in this opponent was minimal.

Since that was the case, Black just focused on doing the repair and support work.

Tasting the sweet juice in his mouth with a burning sensation, Mu Fan's thoughts drifted to the Swordsmanship Club for some reason.

I have less than ten Molten Magma Fruits left, should I go back and ask Senior Sister Lu for some more?

This fruit really tastes good, especially suited for when you're injured...

Mu Fan's peace did not last long, as he was still feeling the energy of the fruit coursing through his body when the Sky Communication on his waist began to vibrate.

"Nuonuo?" Seeing the number, Mu Fan answered the call.

"Sir, the organizers have informed us that the third round of the competition is about to begin with the drawing of lots. It's to determine the top 71 from 142 contestants. Are you feeling better? I have been afraid to disturb you since the end of the match and haven't dared to call." The girl's voice carried both timidity and guilt.

"It's okay, I'm heading out now, see you in a bit."

After hanging up the Sky Communication, Mu Fan looked at the sparking Extreme Special Soldier and suddenly smiled.

"Black, I'll leave this to you. Do your best to repair the Extreme Special Soldier. And then... I'm going to look for a coincidence."

He put on a new Mechanical Master suit, and finally, the smell of blood on him faded slightly. Mu Fan walked out of the repair room.

Wang Nuonuo had been waiting on the surface for a while, and upon seeing Mu Fan, she quickly greeted him, and they walked side by side outside.

A worried look could not hide her concern. "Sir, this competition is the final battle before the contest for the throne, and once we get in, we'll be among the top hundred. Honestly, even in my dreams, I didn't dare to think about it."

Mu Fan's face showed a relaxed expression as he looked up at the low-hanging Star Curtain, "Nuonuo, look at the galaxy above us. If our ancestors hadn't dreamed of breaking through the atmosphere, if they hadn't had the courage to constantly explore the unknown, how could we have the grand interstellar era today?"

"In this world, nothing is impossible. Aren't you gradually turning those impossibilities into possibilities? It may seem dark now, but from another perspective, it's actually the necessary path before the arrival of light."

The young man's tone carried a strange kind of comfort, and Wang Nuonuo looked at the vast starry sky, her mood suddenly improving.

"Sir, thank you for always comforting me like this! You may not know, right after the match ended, so many people called on the Sky Communication saying they want to order our Loki Heavy Industry mechas." As she spoke, the girl secretly wiped the corner of her eye. She tried hard to keep her tears from overflowing, but the excitement in her voice made her choke up as she spoke.

"They said they want that black Mecha, as many as there are...saying well done to Loki Heavy Industry...I...sob sob." She tried to lift her face to show Mu Fan a smile, but Wang Nuonuo's tears just kept falling unstoppably, no matter how much she wiped.

In the end, she still insisted on looking up at Mu Fan with her first radiant smile in days, though it was a smile that contained tears, evoking pity.

"The competition isn't over yet, we haven't even entered the top hundred, but we've already received so many purchase intentions. If I sell all the Mecha Bodies stored in the big warehouse, the amount of liquid assets in my hand will probably reach an unimaginable level. Loki Heavy Industry will certainly not collapse!"

The girl's smile, through her tears, was exceptionally beautiful at that moment.

Mu Fan gave an affirming smile, "That's right, everything will get better and better."

The scenery plunged swiftly, and the two rose higher and higher, quickly arriving at the center of the Sky Mother Ship's venue.

At this time, the audience had all left.

The only ones remaining were a few media and the 142 contestants who had successfully advanced.

Today, in this venue, they would choose their opponents for tomorrow's battle.

Then...

Stepping over the body of the opponent, moving towards victory!

Despite the bright lights, they couldn't dispel the tension in Nuonuo's heart at this moment.

The atmosphere during this drawing of lots was completely different from the previous two times; just standing in this crowd, there was an inexplicable air of solemnity constantly pricking at one's nerves.

Nuonuo shrank a little, glanced at Mu Fan, and said softly, "Master, it seems that everyone participating in the drawing this time is very strong."

Mu Fan nodded in agreement, "Yes, they are all very strong indeed."

"Master, does that mean there are no weak opponents left to draw?"

Nuonuo knew it sounded somewhat silly to ask this question now, but she couldn't help worrying about Mu Fan.

She knew Mu Fan wouldn't give up easily, but she definitely didn't want Mu Fan to encounter these fierce opponents; she was concerned for Mu Fan's safety, because of the very serious gunshot wound on Mu Fan's left shoulder... and yet he had persevered until now.

"That's not necessarily true," Mu Fan suddenly revealed a somewhat strange smile on his face.

"Judging by the looks on your faces, you both seem quite optimistic. It appears that you are very confident about the upcoming matches. Miss Nuonuo, Young Master Tang has been waiting all afternoon for someone from your side to come over and negotiate."

Suddenly, a self-revealing laugh came from nearby, and both turned their heads.

Five meters away, under the lights, a group of bodyguards tightly surrounded Donatello and his entourage of nearly ten people. When Donatello noticed Mu Fan and Nuonuo looking at him, he even waved his hand.

His smile was full of amicable greeting, and behind him stood two burly men in dark blue Mechanical Master suits, one with yellow cropped hair, the other with a black Mohican.

The two men behind Donatello cast an intimidating glare.

"Tang..." Nuonuo's eyes blazed with fire, but before she could utter more than one word, she was stopped by Mu Fan.

Mu Fan gently patted the girl's slightly trembling shoulder, interrupting Nuonuo, then looked towards Donatello: "Good evening, Young Master Tang."

"Ha ha, good evening. How is Mr. Mu Fan's shoulder doing?" Donatello's face smiled as if he was greeting an old friend of many years, but his words made Nuonuo clench her fists almost to the point of drawing blood.

Mu Fan looked down at his own left shoulder, revealing a smile: "Thanks to your concern, everything is fine."

"Ha ha ha, that's good to hear. Mr. Mu Fan's physical condition is much better than I had imagined! Although we unfortunately lost to your side in the last match, we at Lan Du Military Group have been continuously striving forward. I hope that after advancing to the next round, we can still see your figures in the competition."

Donatello tilted his neck slightly, his smile sinister as a demon's: "You must do your best."

Mu Fan's left hand still quietly rested on the girl's back; he could feel, beneath the thin clothing, the girl's labored breathing she was struggling to suppress.

It was also because of Mu Fan's warm hand that the girl had been standing here with strength.

Amidst a sparse yet turbulent crowd, Mu Fan bowed slightly, his lips curved in a resplendent arc: "...As you wish."

****

PS: Thanks to the book friend "Kevin Zhou Yang" for the generous tip of 50,000+50,000+50,000 coins! (Congratulations to the new number one Alliance Hierarch. When I saw this background, I was stunned for a long time, making sure I hadn't miscounted, and I knelt down, teary-eyed, in thanks. 17 updates + 6 updates = 23 updates...)

Thank you to the book friend "Bored Ah Ah Ah Ah" for the 10,000 coin tip! (Congratulations to the new elder!)

Thank you to the book friends "Heaven Dragon〓Proud★Heaven" and "Purple Lightning Crow Immortal" for the 2,000 coin tip!

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